title: Mechanism of substrate recognition and PLP-induced conformational changes in LL-diaminopimelate aminotransferase from Arabidopsis thaliana.
abstract: LL-Diaminopimelate aminotransferase (LL-DAP-AT), a pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme in the lysine biosynthetic pathways of plants and Chlamydia, is a potential target for the development of herbicides or antibiotics. This homodimeric enzyme converts L-tetrahydrodipicolinic acid (THDP) directly to LL-DAP using L-glutamate as the source of the amino group. Earlier, we described the 3D structures of native and malate-bound LL-DAP-AT from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtDAP-AT). Seven additional crystal structures of AtDAP-AT and its variants are reported here as part of an investigation into the mechanism of substrate recognition and catalysis. Two structures are of AtDAP-AT with reduced external aldimine analogues: N-(5'-phosphopyridoxyl)-L-glutamate (PLP-Glu) and N-(5'-phosphopyridoxyl)- LL-Diaminopimelate (PLP-DAP) bound in the active site. Surprisingly, they reveal that both L-glutamate and LL-DAP are recognized in a very similar fashion by the same sets of amino acid residues; both molecules adopt twisted V-shaped conformations. With both substrates, the alpha-carboxylates are bound in a salt bridge with Arg404, whereas the distal carboxylates are recognized via hydrogen bonds to the well-conserved side chains of Tyr37, Tyr125 and Lys129. The distal C(epsilon) amino group of LL-DAP is specifically recognized by several non-covalent interactions with residues from the other subunit (Asn309*, Tyr94*, Gly95*, and Glu97* (Amino acid designators followed by an asterisk (*) indicate that the residues originate in the other subunit of the dimer)) and by three bound water molecules. Two catalytically inactive variants of AtDAP-AT were created via site-directed mutagenesis of the active site lysine (K270N and K270Q). The structures of these variants permitted the observation of the unreduced external aldimines of PLP with L-glutamate and with LL-DAP in the active site, and revealed differences in the torsion angle about the PLP-substrate bond. Lastly, an apo-AtDAP-AT structure missing PLP revealed details of conformational changes induced by PLP binding and substrate entry into the active site.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H7.
authors.forename: Nobuhiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Matthew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Clay
authors.forename: Marco J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: van Belkum
authors.forename: Maia M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Cherney
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Vederas
authors.forename: Michael N G
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: James
mesh_terms: D001051:Apoenzymes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000201:enzymology*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002384:Catalysis; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D003960:Diaminopimelic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008239:Lysine / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008958:Models, Molecular; D050505:Mutant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D011732:Pyridoxal Phosphate / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D055672:Static Electricity; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D001051:Apoenzymes; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D050505:Mutant Proteins; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D003960:Diaminopimelic Acid; D011732:Pyridoxal Phosphate; D008239:Lysine